And, the news continues....

In light of our newly-revised library site, the Steenbock News blog now enjoys another presence.  Please follow us there.

Library Hours, Spring/Summer Recess

Steenbock Library welcomes you to visit during the following hours of the spring recess and summer term (May 18-September 2):

Monday-Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday-Sunday:  Closed

Holiday Exceptions:
Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day) Closed
Friday, July 4 (Independence Day) Closed
Monday, September 1 (Labor Day) Closed

As all campus libraries observe different hours of operation during the spring recess/summer term, we encourage you to verify hours of access before planning your trip to campus or to a specific library location.

Do consult our staff should you need assistance finding and using our collections and services.  We are happy to provide reference assistance from the public-services desk or by chat, email, phone, or appointment.

Poll Everywhere, including Madison!

 

Looking for something to give a creative boost to your end of semester presentations? Poll Everywhere offers a great resource for anyone looking to stand out with a unique way of engaging audiences. Poll Everywhere is an online application that allows you to create poll questions for students or audiences and display responses in real time. It has many great editing features so you can customize visual appearances, display themes, font and color options. It is totally free for up to 40 responses at a time, which makes it a perfect resource for class presentations, discussions, and group meetings. Poll Everywhere allows for multiple methods of response, from texting, to on the web, and even twitter. This helps make Poll Everywhere very accessible and feasible in most educational settings.  

Poll Everywhere can be utilized in many different capacities, such as opinion questions, tests of knowledge, and determining an audience’s wants or preferences. It is a great way to incorporate technology into a classroom because it can be fun, entertaining, and even help encourage a lively debate. Because responses are recorded immediately, there is a tangible result to actions taken in the classroom, helping it to be a good tool for grabbing and keeping the attention of participants. Poll Everywhere can incorporate pictures, and even has the capability of being integrated directly into a PowerPoint presentation, making its use easy and seamless. It even has a fantastic Poll Everywhere User Guide to help you along the process. 

Poll Everywhere offers a great way for students to improve their class presentations, instructors to engage their students, and is a great alternative to costly clickers. It is truly a versatile resource that allows creativity to open the door to almost limitless possibilities. 

Steenbock Library is offering a Poll Everywhere Tech Talk on February 20 at 12 pm. Poll Everywhere is the perfect way to enhance your presentations and teaching opportunities. Tech Talks are completely free and take just 30 minutes, so it’s the perfect time to stop on by and learn something between classes. Steenbock offers many instruction opportunities and we encourage you to check out the Steenbock Workshop Schedule. We hope to see you at one soon!

A special thank you to Information Specialist Internship Program student Lucas Nicholson, for writing this guest post and designing the PollEverywhere workshop! 

Grants Information Collection

Need funding to support your research or study?!  If so, we invite you to become acquainted with the Grants Information Collection as it celebrates its 30th Anniversary. 

The Grants Information Collection, housed in Memorial Library (2nd floor Reference,  Room 262 D/E), supplies access to print and online resources for finding information about fellowships, grants, scholarships and other funding opportunities for individuals, student organizations, and non-profits. The collection also has information on private and corporate foundations and federal funding agencies.  While the print collection does not circulate and must be used on-site, many of its online resources can be accessed from home, library, or office (off-campus access to licensed databases is restricted to registered students, faculty and staff).

The Grants Information Collection can also be used by the general public. Visitors to Memorial Library can obtain a day pass from the entrance desk.  For additional assistance or referral, speak with your Steenbock librarians, consult with Grants Collection Librarian, Ellen Jacks, or attend a Grants Collection workshop.

Visit the selection of library "Research Guides" dedicated to features and resources from this collection.

Garden Expo (Feb 7-9)

Plant, tend and harvest with the annual Garden Expo! The Expo will be held at the Exhibition Hall of the Alliant Energy Center, February 7-9, 2014. The Expo features exhibits, seminars and hands-on workshops for the gardener and landscaping enthusiast. Many of the presenters and hands-on consultants are staff with UW-Extension, Cooperative Extension.

Ticket prices, on-site, are $8.00 for a single day, $12.00 for two days and $17.00 for three days (advance ticket savings and a discount coupon are available from the Website). Admission proceeds support Wisconsin Public Television. See what’s new for 2014--including a special "beer-tasting and pairings event" with cookbook author, Lucy Saunders.

Among the featured presenters this year are gardening expert and author, Melinda Myers, and historian and author, Jerry Apps (look for their books in campus library collections).   "Garden Talk" host, Larry Meiller, and Horticulture Educator, Lisa Johnson, will entertain your gardening questions, on-stage.

Factor Steenbock Library into your garden planning. The library receives seed catalogs that can be found and browsed near the first floor vending area. Additionally, the library maintains an extensive collection of books about gardening, organic gardening, landscape design, composting, floriculture, and pest management, among other related topics. Consult with library staff for assistance locating and using these collections.

Staying Current

How do you stay current with the literature in your field of study or research?  If you find this a challenging prospect, our librarians have the tools to help.

Staying up-to-date with what is happening in your area of research may take several forms.  Are you interested in having browsing access to the most current volume of a favorite journal or magazine?  Or, would you prefer to receive an email message or RSS feed to newly-published research on a topic of interest?  In similar fashion, would you like to know when your published article is cited by other researchers?  Or, do your enjoy reading blogs and current news from News sites and the popular press?

If any and all of these apply to the information you would like to retrieve and your workflow (more on that question of management, below), note that there are open Web resources and library-licensed tools that can serve this process of keeping current.  A selection of these tools and assists are listed, below, by approach or form.

Table of Contents (your favorite or essential journals)

• Browzine (see our previous post)
• Journal TOCs (free, scholarly journal TOCs)
• Database Alerts (via email or RSS)
• Publisher Websites (some offer free TOCs)

Search and Citation Alerts (your area of research interest or by publication)

• Database Alerts (via email or RSS)
• Google Scholar Alerts (via email with Google Account--either to "My Citations" or to a topic search)
• Google Book Alerts (an option as from the Result Type menu)

Blogs, News Media, Website Updates

• Subscribe to feeds using feed readers or Web browser.

Library Guides, Liaisons and Workshops
You do not need to do this alone.  Speak to your librarians for assistance and customization.  Attend a drop-in workshop or do-it-yourself by reading our Web guides.

• Research Guide to Keeping Current in the Literature
• MyUW, Research Tab (Create a customized, browsing access list of your "Favorite Library E-Resources")

Managing the Information you Retrieve
Campus Libraries provide support for several software products for managing your citations and formatting your reference list.  Evaluate these tools and attend a drop-in workshop to explore their features.  The beauty of these tools is that they can communicate well with library-licensed databases making it relatively easy and efficient to move records from database to manager. 

Have any tips and resources to share?  If so, please reply to this post.

Sowing Seeds

After weathering the recent polar vortex, spring, for many, cannot come soon enough.  Plan your next garden with inspiration from our selection of seed catalogs.  Current issues of these catalogs can be browsed in-house and are located on the first floor near the rear stacks and vending area (older copies are in the neighboring filing cabinets).

Use the collection to record ideas for particular garden products and to locate suitable vendors for your plant hardiness zone. Otherwise, do speak with our librarians to assist you with using the campus library catalog to determine specific titles within your gardening topics of interest.

Spring Semester Workshops

Learn more about the library resources and services that can make your work easier. Campus Libraries offer free workshops to satisfy many interests and needs--whether that is to use citation management software effectively, to identify sources of funding for your research, or to incorporate a variety of Web-based productivity tools into your workflow.

Plan to attend any of the workshops on the current spring schedule. If you cannot attend one of these particular workshops, Steenbock librarians can work with you to arrange additional individual or small group sessions. Send us your request using our online form.  As need or interest warrants, our library staff can come to your office, lab, or instructional space.

Workshops will include hands-on time to explore the resource or technology tool.  And, apart from selections within the "Graduate Support Series", advance registration is not necessary for most workshops.

Calling for Course Reserves, Spring 2014

Calling all course materials!  Ensure that your reserve materials (print and e-reserves) are available, in time, for the first day of class, by submitting a request before Wednesday, January 8, 2014.

Materials will be processed in the order in which they are received.

For more information, visit the Steenbock Library Course Reserves page, email, or complete an online request form.

What we've been reading...

Are you looking to dig into some reading (apart from your required texts)?  If so, take a break and consider the list of titles generated by campus librarians (and via Pinterest) during their annual book discussion.  Use the book list to find something to distract you from the local wintry scene or to take with you as you venture out from campus for the winter semester break.

And, not to be outdone, our student staff has also generated a favorites list.  Visit the Pinterest board, "Our Favorite Books" to discover more reading selections.

Consult with your campus or public libraries to find available copies.

• UW-Madison Library Catalog
  (Don’t forget the option to borrow from UW System Libraries!)

• LinkCat, South Central Wisconsin Library System Catalog (and check-out its “Don’t Miss Lists)
• WorldCat (find library copies nationally, some internationally)

Curiosity Unleashed! WI Science Festival 2013

"Unleash your curiosity" with the Wisconsin Science Festival, September 26-29, 2013!

Visit the festival website program guide to plan your day.  While many events and programs will take place at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, there are many other area venues including the Geology Museum, the Madison Children’s Museum and Union South that will be hosting special events. 
The festival affords an amazing opportunity to dabble creatively in the sciences with hands-on activities, demonstrations, exhibits, films, lectures, workshops, and more.  Importantly, too, you will meet the individuals behind the art and science who will share an infectious enthusiasm for what they do--whether that is their work in the lab, field or studio.  Ask plenty of questions!

And, do look for your campus librarians! They will be staffing an "Ask a Librarian/Ask a Science Librarian" table during the Discovery Expo (Town Center, WID).  What with our interest in the sciences and science literacy, how can we resist but to be there where the action is--we look forward to seeing you there!

Follow the fun via Facebook and Twitter.

The Wisconsin Science Festival is free and open to the public.

C. Helen Party (Sept 12)

Campus libraries are the place to be--not only as spaces for serious study, but as interesting social spaces for group work and the occasional party.

Check out the fun when College Library (Helen C. White) hosts its annual house party, Thursday, September 12 (8:00 PM-midnight).

The schedule of events includes arts, crafts and hacks, carnival games, human foosball, student group performances, house party team trivia and more--with plenty of free snacks on the side.

Graduate Support Series, Fall 2013

UW-Madison campus Libraries have teamed to offer a series of free workshops for graduate students. Each workshop is designed as a "stand-alone" presentation; students can choose to attend any number of these workshops, in any combination.

Visit the library workshop site or view the flyer (PDF) for the listing of workshops in the series. From "Finding Funding for your Graduate Education" to "Using Special Collections and Archives"--there is something for you.

Do note date, time and library location. (Click here to view Steenbock Library offerings in the series).

Registration is recommended; register with the Graduate School—links from its site to come.

Plan your Library Tour!

Come see what Steenbock Library has to offer with a tour of our facility. During an hour-long tour, Steenbock librarians will introduce tour participants to collections and service points.

Each tour will depart from the Information Services/Reference desk, second floor, across from the library’s main entrance.

Schedule:

Wednesday, August 28: 2:00-3:00 pm OR 3:00-4:00 pm

Thursday, August 29: 2:00-3:00 pm OR 3:00-4:00 pm

If you are unable to attend any of the scheduled tours, above, or wish to schedule a tour for a particular group, (class, research unit, new staff or dorm residents), do complete an online request form.

Your Librarians @ Steenbock

Have you met your liaison (aka subject librarian)? Summer session can be a good time to get acquainted. Steenbock Library liaisons serve as principal contacts for each department and program the library supports.

Our Steenbock librarians can provide the following services:

• Provide in-depth orientation for new faculty, staff, graduate students, and project and research assistants 
• Assist with library services and policies (e.g., Interlibrary Loan, faculty runner cards, UW System search and retrieval…etc.) 
• Help customize email alerts to keep you informed about new articles matching your topic criteria or with tables of contents to your favorite journals 
• Provide in-depth reference consultations--at our office or yours--(e.g., help with searching strategy and making database choices, etc.) 
• Supply customized instructional sessions and course Web pages for your students 
• Consult on questions related to publishing your research (e.g., identify target journals, measure research impact, etc.)

Find library liaisons by Department/Program/Center (Libraries-wide list)

Find library liaisons by Name

UW-Madison Day at the Fair (Aug 7)

Save the date! Come celebrate UW-Madison’s history and tradition of service by visiting its Wisconsin State Fair event, Wednesday, August 7. Located on the fair ground’s Central Mall, the "UW-Madison Day" will feature staff and alumni demonstrating their expertise and inviting fair-goers to "jump around" and experience all that the university has to offer--whether that be to pose with campus personalities (Bucky, perhaps?!) or to witness the Wonders of Physics, among other activities and amusements.

Be sure to look for your Steenbock librarians and their campus library colleagues! We will be on hand to distribute some library-themed fun and to answer your questions about how you may visit and access library resources.

Your attendance at the fair can also serve to benefit Milwaukee-area school-children.  Bring a new, unopened school supply item to an Admissions gate.  Those donating to this school supply drive will receive $4 off adult admission until 4:00 PM.

For more information about UW-Madison Day at the State Fair, visit this page.

Takes a Licking!

As temperatures climb, what better way to beat the heat than to pick up some ice-cream from the Babcock Dairy Store?! Conveniently located in our neighborhood, the Dairy Store supplies its signature ice-cream (standard, feature and super-premium flavors), milk, cheese and other treats. Additionally, a deli-counter prepares coffee, breakfast and lunch items.

Enjoy your break and we will see you back at the library (where, incidentally, we have books on ice-cream production and its culinary use).  Run a search in the catalog or ask your librarians for assistance should you wish to browse these titles from our collections.

Photo courtesy of University Communications.

Bibliometrics & Citation Analysis

Are people discovering and reading the research I have published? 
Will publishing in a particular journal be advantageous to me as I move forward in my career? 
How can I determine whether the buzz of the social Web has impact?  

If these questions concern you, we invite you to learn more about measuring the impact of your work by reviewing the Libraries’ research guide to Bibliometrics & Citation Analysis.

This guide supplies information and links to both library-licensed and freely-available tools for journal, author and article-level metrics or, in other words, tools that enable researchers and librarians to identify core journals and to assess the visibility and influence of authors and articles published within them. 

There is also growing interest in what we have come to call "altmetrics" that look to measure how social media informs scholarship via formats in which references to research can be tabulated (be they "likes", "shares", "bookmarks", or other).  Visit the tab to "Alternative Metrics" should you wish to explore how these interesting measures may tell a more comprehensive story of your research endeavors.

Librarians are happy to assist you with using these bibliometric tools.  We invite you to schedule an opportunity to consult with us.

Pinned!

Browse Steenbock collections with Pinterest!  Library staff is merrily "pinning" to connect you with selections from our stacks. In keeping with the summer mood, take a peek at our newest boards.

Learn more about consuming, growing and preserving small fruit, try mixing a refreshing cocktail, or other beverage, during a hot afternoon, or simply enjoy time appreciating what is local, seasonal and sustainable. 

Speak with your librarians for assistance in retrieving these titles and more.  If borrowing from UW-Madison Libraries is not an option for you, be sure to look for available library copies using WorldCat (catalog).

• Liberry Literature
• Happy Hour 
• Local Flavor

Blow off some Steam!

Take a study break with us.  Free, coffee (hot) and lemonade (cold) will be available Saturday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 14 beginning at 7:00 PM (while supplies last).  The beverage service, located in our vending area on the first floor is provided by University Housing in cooperation with Steenbock Library.

During the day (Monday, May 13-Friday May 17), Steenbock will also have bubble-blowing equipment available for use on our front deck from where you can also hang-out on our new patio furniture as the weather improves this week.

For a list of extended library hours and finals week activities at the various campus libraries, visit the special, "Study Strong" pages.

The staff from Steenbock Library and University Housing wishes you the best for a successful finals week and end of term.